Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-03-31
THE NORTHWEST
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent. ]
WASHINGTON, March 21st, 1888

Last Friday-the 18th, of March
was the golden anniversary of Presi-
dent Cleveland's birth. He carefully
avoided any celebration, or rather, he
celebrated the occasion by carefully Civ
ing his entire attention to public busi-
ness. The President is not of an enthu-
siastic or sentimental nature. He is
c0nstitutionally opposed to everything
which partakes of the character of self
glorificatiOn, and such he considers a
mans celebration of his own birthday
to be.
When asked by Mr.. SOteldo, the
Minister from Venezuela, WHY he was
not celebrating the natal day, he is re-
ported to have said, "vanity, vanity, it
is all vanity. If man really feels that
his birth was stroke of luck to him, -
continued he, "let him rejoice by all
means; but l don't think he has any
right to disturb the town about it and
don't think it would he modest to ask
all the rest of the world to rejoice in an
event which had so little interest for
them.
Birthday cards in large numbers came
from all parts of the country, and
friends in Washington sent flowers ac-
companied by congratulations. There
was the usual tri-weekly hand shaking
in the East Room, which was attend
ed by about five hundred people. q
large proportion of whom were eX-
cursionists from Buffalo and the sur
rounding district i'm Northwestern New
York. They were noticeably unpre-
suming crowd of excursionists. They
filed quietly past the President, not one
of them showing any desire to be
familiar or receive attention on ac-
count of being from the Presidents
former home.
The visit of ex-senator Thurman to
this city furnished the political gossips
with food for whole day. They could
not learn positively whether his confer
ence with the President had reference
to the appointment of the Interstate
Commerce Commissioners, the Pacific
railroad investigation, the English mis-
sion, or the Secretaryship of the Treasu-
ry. "The noblest Roman of them alp
settled these canards himself. When
asked if the President had rendered
him any position he replied, "No; am
neither to be Secretary of State nor Sec.
retary of the Treasury nor Minister to
England. am not even going to be an
Interstate Commissioner" He added
that his call ON the President was en-
tirely social and that he was not after
office.
There is little occasion for the wide
spread alarm as to the financial situa-
tion during the interval before Con-
gress convenes. The condition of the
Treasury is much stronger than it was
nine months ago, the distribution ol
currency much more favorable and
adequate, and the circumstances in
many respects more reassuring. The
surplus is smaller, the gold fund is
stronger, and the circulation and sup
ply of convenient forms of small cur
rency is more abundant.
That which is deemed chiefly unfa-
vorable in the situation is the fact that
only thirty millions of bonds remain
subject to call, and that after three
monthly calls this means of putting
money into circulation will be cut off
1t is fact however, that recent bond
calls have been of little service, and
that the Treasury has ample authority
and has declared its willingness to go
into the market and buy bonds at cur
rent rates if the situation should be-
come such as to call for this action.
Those whose opinions on the subject
are best worth knowing think there is
no reason to fear that the coming sum-
mer and autumn will bring any serious
financial disturbance, or that the
strength of the Treasury and the skill
of its managers are not fully equal to
all emergencies that may arise.
The Cabinet makers who have dis
posed of the Treasury portfolio for Mr.
Cleveland more than a dozen times
since Secretary Manning resigned are
really little embarrassed just now
as to what to say next. 1t was posi-
lively asserted that Speaker Carlisle
was offered the place last Saturday and
declined. Since there has been so mucf
delay in the matter some of them now
take it for granted Mr.. Manning's sue
cessor will not be named until the 1st
of April, the date when his resignation
takes effect.
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